Healthy for the future

- In recent years, the work of providing nutritional care for the first 1,000 days of life for mothers and children has been implemented synchronously by all levels and sectors in the province. Thanks to that, scientific child-rearing knowledge is spreading widely, contributing to improving children's stature, physical strength and intelligence.

Staff of Dong Kinh Ward Health Station weigh and monitor growth of children under 2 years old.

Early in the morning of October 15, 2025, Ba Son Commune Health Station had many parents bringing their children for vaccination. During the post-vaccination monitoring period, parents were informed by medical staff about nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, and instructed on how to cook baby food with all four groups of nutrients. Ms. Long Thi Mai, Na Tham village shared: Every time I come for a pregnancy check-up or take my child for vaccination, I am consulted and instructed on nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life for children, from when they are in the womb until they are 2 years old. I understand and pay attention to preparing my child's daily meals according to the instructions.

To raise awareness among mothers with young children, the health station regularly organizes nutrition communication in many forms such as: direct consultation for pregnant mothers and mothers with children under 2 years old; integrated communication during regular prenatal check-ups and vaccinations. Ms. Luong Thi Tham, nutrition specialist at Ba Son Commune Health Station, informed: Nutrition care in the first 1,000 days of life is one of the key tasks in nutrition work. Therefore, we regularly integrate communication into vaccinations, prenatal check-ups and postpartum. Not only guiding pregnant mothers to eat enough nutrients, the station staff also monitor the growth of children under 2 years old, instruct each household on hygiene, food processing, and malnutrition prevention. Village health workers also visit poor households far from the center to provide consultation, ensuring that no child is left out in nutritional care.

Along with Ba Son commune, according to statistics from the Provincial Center for Disease Control, by June 2025, 86.3% of communes in the third region of the province had implemented the model of "Nutritional care for the first 1,000 days of life", reaching 186% of the set plan (40% assigned target). Over 99% of children were weighed and periodically assessed for nutrition; over 99% of children from 6 to 36 months were given vitamin A; over 90% of pregnant women received nutritional counseling during pregnancy. Thanks to that, the rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old has decreased steadily over the years: underweight is 14.4% (target for the period 2021 -2025 is under 15%), stunted is 21% (target for the period 2021 -2025 is under 27%).

Ms. Le Thi Kieu Oanh, Deputy Head of the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Nutrition, Provincial Center for Disease Control, commented: This result shows that when knowledge is brought to the right target and accompanied by grassroots health care, people will change their awareness. Raising healthy children is not just the mother's business, but the joint efforts of the whole community. Every small action such as: washing hands before cooking, breastfeeding early, or adding nutrition to the diet... all contribute to improving the stature of future generations.

From communication and practice sessions at health stations, the message “The first 1,000 days of life – the foundation for a healthy future” is spreading strongly in every village, in every home. Each carefully prepared meal, each shared knowledge has contributed to nurturing a generation of healthy children, comprehensive in stature, physical and intellectual.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/lan-toa-kien-thuc-nuoi-con-khoe-5062400.html